Rebutting Rahul Gandhi’s attack on the Mahagathbandhan in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has in a sharp comeback called Congress ‘the biggest betrayer party’.
Rahul Gandhi, who has been campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, had described the Akhilesh Yadav-Mayawati-Ajit Singh alliance as opportunistic and scared of the BJP.
“The CBI and ED have their keys. They could not speak freely due to their fear but I can speak freely,” Rahul Gandhi said in a rally in Badaun which is just 60 km from Uttar Pradesh capital, Lucknow.
Samajwadi Party which was once eying the Congress as a probable alliance partner has now come in the crosshairs of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. Rahul Gandhi also tried to present himself as a fearless politician disjoint from the alliance. “I do not fear anyone… no one can subdue my voice,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi’s comment has taken the alliance partners especially the Samajwadi party by surprise. The Mahagathbandhan had decided not to field any candidate from Amethi and Raebareli which are considered bastions of Congress in Uttar Pradesh, leaving a soft spot for top Congress brass. Rahul Gandhi is set to contest from Amethi, whereas his mother and Congress matriarch Sonia Gandhi will be contesting from Raebareli.
Akhilesh Yadav, in his scathing reply, said “The Congress is the biggest betrayer party in the country,” Akhilesh said replying to question on a review petition filed in the Supreme Court about an old disproportionate assets case.
“Those Congress people who are saying that we are afraid of ED and CBI, we are in fact not afraid of any organization. Congress itself got an investigation done on us. The person who filed the PIL belongs to Congress. Big leaders of Congress gave money to get PIL filed against Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) and our family. That person is still a part of Congress. When the investigation got over and the matter came up for review, that person joined hands with BJP,” He told ANI.
He also added: “I want to make this clear that the person who filed PIL on Netaji, me and my wife Dimple has joined hands with both BJP and Congress. Both the parties have formed an alliance on this,”
This comes after Uttar Pradesh saw SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav and BSP supremo Mayawati sharing a stage nearly after 25 years. On which Mulayam had said “Mulayam said: “Ask those who are organizing it. I have to address it. It will be a historic day. Big leaders of several parties are coming.”
Congress, has in the past, been accused by several political parties of exploiting investigative agencies to arm-twist several political rivals. This war of words between Congress and the Grand Alliance comes after last dates of filing nominations from Amethi and Raebareli are over, which leaves the alliance less space to counter the Congress who have been given free run space in the two bastions by the grand alliance.